The Start
by TheCivilState
Summary: They had forever to fall in love, but why not start now?  Klaroline


_I'd give you a life full of risk, and the whirlwind joy that can be_

_"I'll take you. Anywhere you want to go."_

Klaus' offer, or bride with an ulterior motive as Caroline liked to think of it, replayed in her for days after the ball. It was on repeat when she chose what to wear in the morning, blurred together when she tried to focus on Elena and her problems, and it skipped like a broken record as she sat on a bench outside the Grill with the man who'd made the offer. _Anywhere, _it played, _Anywhere. _

For someone who had never been somewhere, anywhere was this big, infinite idea that she could not grasp. She couldn't hold it and examine it and figure it all out. It was just _anywhere. _Like if she spun the globe in Alaric's classroom, closed her eyes and put her finger down, anywhere would be where her finger landed.

She bought travel books in a desperate attempt to understand the concept of _anywhere_. Bonnie didn't think much of it and Elena was too caught up in her own life to even notice. Caroline's mother, on the other hand, was the Sheriff and part of her job included noticing things out of the ordinary. She hated to admit it because it made her sound stupid, but Caroline had to admit that her reading was not ordinary. Had she been reading some chick lit, that would've been fine, but she wasn't. She was reading about Paris and Peru and Seville and Kilwa. She was reading about cities she'd never heard of an the monuments that were there waiting for her.

"Are you leaving?" Liz Forbes asked one night, standing in the doorway of her daughter's yellow room and watching her little girl pour over travel books. It seemed the stack grew with each passing day and while Liz understood her daughter would have one day left- vampire or not- she didn't think she was ready for it just yet.

"No," Caroline said, eyes never leaving her books as she highlighted sections, "At least not yet. I have forever, so I thought I'd make a list of the places I'd like to see during that forever." The conversation ended there because it wasn't often that Caroline mentioned her eternal existence. It wasn't often her mother stuck around long enough to hear about it. Maybe if she did, and maybe if Caroline talked about it more, they'd know how to address it when it arose in conversations.

But Caroline didn't talk about it and Liz didn't listen so neither of the Forbes women knew how to grasp and understand Caroline's eternal existence. Much like Caroline didn't know how to grasp and understand the concept of _anywhere._

_Don't try to blind me, just love me without any greed_

"Do you like it?" Caroline stared down at the necklace Tyler had given her and was thankful the myths about silver harming vampires and werewolves were false. She would probably cry if she could never wear her collection of silver jewelry again, specifically a locket her father had given her for her tenth birthday. It was a locket followed by one of the hardest conversations in her life where her parents had calmly informed her that daddy was leaving and she had to stay with her mommy.

_"Daddy, don't go! Don't go, daddy, please don't go!" _She had cried for weeks after he had gone and had put the locket in one of her socks and buried it at the bottom of her sock drawer. It was still there. She'd pull it out from time to time, but never was brave enough to wear it. And now, with her father gone, that locket reminded her of him all the more. He was always leaving.

"I love it," she said when she realized Tyler was still waiting for a response, "Help me put it on?"

It was a simple silver charm of a wolf howling. Definitely not Caroline's first pick in jewelry, but she understood the sentiment behind it and since it was a gift from her boyfriend, she figured she had to smile and pretend she liked it.

Tyler kissed along her shoulder and she flinched away when he reached her neck, the painful reminder of his bite still lingering beneath her healed flesh like a bad memory. She wondered if she'd ever be able to forget his bite and the pain of the festering wound. A wound that Klaus had healed with blood that had been thick and sweet. It should have tasted like bile, in her opinion, since he was the bad guy after all. It shouldn't have been sweet just like his hands shouldn't have been warm and his shouldn't have smelled like the forest and soap. Bad guys weren't supposed to smell like that. Their hands were supposed to be cold like their cold hearts and cold eyes that could kill you if you stared into them for too long. Klaus' eyes weren't like that. Caroline thought they should be though.

Maybe hating him would be easier then.

_I have no illusions to think that I know what will come_

She sat on the lawn in the town square pouring over a travel book about Greece. Crete sounded like a beautiful place, as did Athens and Sparta. Her highlighter of choice today was a vibrant orange and she littered the pages with notes and highlighted passages so she'd remember all the places she wanted to see and exactly why she wanted to see them.

"Don't forget Rhodes." She stiffened at the sound of a familiar British voice and cocked her head to the side so she could look up at him. He moved to shield the sun from her eyes, his own eyes taking in the book in her hands.

"The Colossus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world," he said, "It was quite the sight. Much like your Statue of Liberty, but much more impressive." He crossed his legs and joined her on the lawn, her body tensing as she prepared to run. After all, she had manipulated his affections towards her so Alaric could dagger his younger brother. Why he hadn't killed her by now was an ominous threat that hung over her head while her mind continued to whisper, _anywhere. _To think both a glorious promise and foreboding threat were delivered by the same man. To think the world wasn't as black and white as she had planned.

"Planning a trip?" he asked, taking her book and flipping through the pages to examine her notes, being careful to mark her page though so she wouldn't lose her place.

"I have forever," she said, "I thought I might as well do something with it." Klaus nodded in approval and returned her book, rising from the lawn and stepping away from her.

"Don't forget about Persia," he called over his shoulder.

Caroline ended up buying three books on Persia. She was trying to imagine what it had been like when Klaus was there. He'd seen it all… was he tired of forever? Would she tire of forever?

What would she do then?

_I laugh at the concept of life as a simple result of the sum_

"Caroline, you're being ridiculous," Elena lectured from the blonde's bed as she neatly packed a backpack with the travel essentials.

"No, Elena," she said, "This is me being eternal. I have forever to see the world, so why not start now?"

"Because you have forever. Why leave now when everyone is in trouble and in need of protection?" Caroline stopped, yellow shirt limp in her hands. For a moment, Elena thought she had won this argument as she so often did. But not this time. _Anywhere _was playing like a song in Caroline's head and she finally found she didn't care about precious Elena who needed protecting. It wasn't her responsibility. She could leave.

"If I were human," she said, "And I suddenly decided to go to Paris, would you stop me?" Elena laughed and Caroline had a half-second thought about smacking her because this wasn't a joke.

"Care," the doppleganger said, "You'd never go to Paris. We both know that." She folded the yellow shirt and stuffed it into her bag, zipping it shut and slinging it over her shoulder.

"You're right," she said, "I wouldn't have gone. But I'm not human Caroline anymore, so I'm going. You're the one who chose to be a part of the supernatural world, Elena, not me. I don't have to stand around and deal with the consequences of your choice. You've chosen your life, now I'm choosing mine."

She was gone before Elena could argue that she hadn't chosen this life. That it wasn't her fault people were dying and she was so heavily engrossed in the supernatural. But Caroline was gone and Elena was left in a pale yellow room with the realization that yes, she had chosen this life and that yes, it was time Caroline chose her own.

That didn't make it hurt any less.

_I just want to hold you and share with you all of this life_

"Come with me," Caroline pleaded, eyes bright with excitement and feet bouncing as she tried not to explode with glee. She was leaving. Caroline Forbes was leaving Mystic Falls with a bag full of clothes and travel books. She was _leaving. _

_Anywhere _whispered in her mind as she watched Tyler grasp her hands in an attempt to tether her to the world, to him, to Mystic Falls. Watched as Tyler tried to keep her somewhere she didn't belong anymore.

"What about Elena, Care?" he tried to reason, "What about Bonnie and your mom? Are you just going to turn your back on them?"

She hadn't told Bonnie she was leaving. Part of her would miss the witch, but the other part understood that's just what she was: a witch. Bonnie wasn't Caroline's best friend from kindergarten anymore. They weren't two girls planning a life of college and babies and PTA meetings. They were a witch and a vampire; two supernatural beings that would never co-exist the way they once had.

Her mother, on the other hand, had been torn between crying and rejoicing when her daughter informed her over dinner, "I'm leaving mom. I'm going to see the world." Liz Forbes was heartbroken at the realization that the time had finally come for her little girl to fly the coop. At the same time, she had to be happy for her because Caroline was finally strong enough to take on the world. She was finally confident enough in herself to pack her bags, say farewell, and promise to send postcards home. Her daughter was all grown up and perfectly content with herself and as a mother, that's all Liz could have asked for.

"They're fine with it," she said, tugging at his hands, "Come with me. We'll see the world and it'll be amazing. We'll live forever and see everything. Come with me." His face fell and in that moment, Caroline knew things were over. Granted, if she was honest with herself, she knew she had ended things the moment she started reading travel books and trying to imagine what cities were like when Klaus had been there. She'd set this vehicle into motion and now it came time for the crash.

"Care," he said, swallowing around the words lodged in his throat, "I can't." He released her hands and she withdrew, tugging her bag onto her shoulders before removing the necklace he'd given her. The silver wolf howled as she set it on his bed and she gave him her best smile.

"Keep them safe for me."

_When the circling and striking are done and I land_

"Do you plan on walking to the nearest airport?" She turned to see Klaus, long strides leading him to her side as she walked along the road leading away from Mystic Falls.

"Hitchhiking is pretty popular," she said, "Figured I might give it a shot. I can always run too, you know."

"I know." Those two words took her back to the night of the ball when he'd smiled and laughed and told her about his painting in the Hermitage. And the more she thought about that painting and that museum, the more she realized that in all of her reading, she hadn't once read about the Hermitage.

"Where's the Hermitage?" she asked, trying to mimic is pronunciation and only failing slightly. Language had never been her forte in school, but she had forever to change that. What language would she learn first?

"St. Petersburg," he said and when she drew a visible blank he smiled and added, "Russia." _Anywhere _whispered inside her head and Russia was added to her list of places she wanted to see. She'd have to pick up another travel book, or maybe she'd just arrive and wing it. Surely there'd be at least one English speaking person in Russia who could direct her to the Hermitage. But then there was the matter of finding Klaus' painting.

"Your painting," she said, feet striking the black top and creating a dull sound in the night, "Is it under your name?" Klaus' arm brushed against hers and he abruptly stopped, grasping her forearm and dragging her to a halt as well.

"You want to see my painting?" Caroline cocked her head at him, taking in the blue eyes and dimples the bad guy shouldn't have. A bad guy also shouldn't look puzzled by some baby vampire saying she wanted to see his painting, but he was. That was yet another thing Caroline couldn't grasp and understand like forever and _anywhere._

"Yes," she said, "If you don't mind." Klaus smiled then, a smile that reminded her of the ball and horse and how the two of them had danced so perfectly. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a very familiar velvet box and for a moment, Caroline thought he was going to try and return that stolen bracelet to her. For a moment, she wondered if she'd ever learn about the princess he had stolen it from.

"For you," he said, handing her the box. She flipped it open just to get the inevitable over with, but there was a small hitch in her plans when she realized it wasn't the bracelet. Instead, it was a necklace. Klaus' hands reached around and he plucked it from the case, allowing it to dangle in the inky darkness broken only by the moon and the stars.

"Can I put it on you?" She wanted to say no, that he was the bad guy and bad guys didn't give girls jewelry. She wanted to say no, that she was Caroline Forbes and she wasn't interested in him, so he should go shower some other girl with gifts and and dimpled smiles and blue eyes. But the thought of him dancing with another girl caused a bad taste in her mouth for reasons she didn't grasp or understand like Klaus not being the bad guy, forever, and _anywhere. _So instead, she turned around and lifted her hair from the nape of her neck so he could clasp the necklace in place.

It was a simple silver necklace, nothing more than a chain and a charm. But instead of a wolf or a pair of fangs or anything else supernaturally related that would subtly claim her as his, it was a bird. A beautiful, delicate little bird that fit comfortably on the tip of her finger. Just a song bird with wings outstretched so if she should break the chain, it would fly away.

"I'll meet you," he whispered against her ear, "In Russia. We'll meet in Russia after you've had your fun and then I'll take you to all the places you haven't seen."

"And you'll show me your painting?" She turned to face him because she needed to see his honesty when he promised. She needed to understand at least one thing in a world of forever and _anywhere, _and if Klaus was that one, understandable thing, she'd take it.

"Yes," he promised and she smiled because she knew then she wouldn't have to face forever alone. He'd be coming along to join her.

"I'll see you in Russia."

_Let me come back to your hand_

"That's a beautiful necklace." Her hand rose to her neck where the songbird was still in flight and she turned to smile at the person who gave such a compliment. She attempted to remain calm, but her wide eyes and bright smile gave away just how excited she was to see him.

"Klaus," she said, a breathy whisper of his name for fear this was a dream she'd shatter, "Took you long enough." He chuckled, an easy laugh accompanied by a smile and she knew then that he couldn't be the bad guy anymore, so she reached for his hand and twined their fingers together. And he let her because she was in Russia waiting for him like she promised she would and she was still wearing the necklace he gave her. It was the little things that turned out to be the big things when you lived forever.

"Where is your painting?" she asked, tugging him closer to her and looking at him expectantly. He grinned and tilted his head towards the landscape he'd been watching her admire.

"You've been staring at it for most of the afternoon." Her jaw dropped and her gaze flickered between the painting and the man standing beside her, mind whirling with forever and _anywhere _and how Klaus wasn't the bad guy.

"I can't believe I found it." She was in awe and shock and Klaus was amused by the way her mouth hung open as she tried to make sense of it all. She'd always been afraid if she went to the Hermitage alone she wouldn't be able to find his painting and yet she had.

"I don't understand it," she confessed because it didn't make sense the way Klaus not being the bad guy, forever, and _anywhere _didn't make sense. They didn't make sense, but they fit and clicked and just felt right and like learning languages, Caroline figured she had forever to learn how to accept the things that didn't make sense.

"Neither do I," Klaus confessed, "No one ever really does."

Caroline grinned up at him and then, because she was Caroline Forbes, the brave woman who'd left behind Mystic Falls to see the world, she rose onto her toes and kissed him in the Hermitage, in St. Petersburg, in Russia, in the spring, in front of his landscape that she loved. And because he was Klaus, the hybrid who'd trusted Caroline to meet him in the Hermitage, in St. Petersburg, in Russia, in the spring, in front of his landscape, he kissed her back.

And because they were Caroline and Klaus, brave and trusting and very much surprised by one another, they stood kissing in the Hermitage in Russia while the world moved around them.

They had forever to fall in love, but why not start now?

_[song fic inspired by "Hunter" by Heather Dale]_


End file.
